The Big Vegan Bowl

January 6, 2014Angela (Oh She Glows)

by Angela (Oh She Glows) on January 6, 2014

Are you on Instagram? I have to say, it’s my favourite form of social media. What’s better than a constant stream of your favourite people’s photographs? You get a peek inside someone’s life, little snippets of their day. The interaction is fun too. Scrolling through the feed is one of my favourite ways to pass time when I need a little distraction. I mostly like to share recipes that I’m testing, meals, or some behind the scenes blog, book, and photography stuff. There are also some people, scenery, and travel shots, and of course, crazy Sketchie who is by far the fan favourite. Like when I shared a shot of him playingsabotaging our Monopoly game. Just when you least expect it Sketchie pops out of no where and kung fu kitties the dice across the room!

Did I mention that I came downstairs one morning and our entire unfinished Monopoly game was flipped upside down on the floor?

Only a cat…only a cat.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always bother plating my food nicely when I’m not photographing it; sometimes the only thing I care about is how quickly I can sit down to eat. I throw the food on the plate and that is that. Luckily, vegetables tend to look beautiful anyway (unless we’re talking about mushroom pesto…). But it is fun to put more effort into it now and then, especially when I want to impress the people I’m feeding or to get myself out of a food rut. Give me a colourful plate of food and I’m a happy girl.

4.9 from 13 reviews

The Big Vegan Bowl

Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

By Angela Liddon

Can’t you just imagine this bowl being served at a vegan restaurant? Well, why not make it in the comfort of your own home? It looks like it would take a long time to prepare, but it only set me back about 25 minutes of prep time. I simply roasted the sweet potato and chickpeas, cooked some quinoa on the stove top, and chopped a few veggies. It’s pretty laid back and you can tend to other things while it’s cooking. Due to the hummus and avocado, there’s no real need for a dressing unless of course you want to throw some on. My Lemon-Tahini dressing would be great on this, but it's great plain too. Next time you are in a lunch or dinner rut, give this a shot! It’s simple vegan food at its finest. Bowl idea inspired by Deliciously Ella.

Yield2 large bowls

Prep time25 Minutes

Cook time30 Minutes

Total time55 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, chopped into 3/4-inch cubes

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1.5 cups)

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 large carrot, peeled & julienned

purple cabbage or vegetable of choice, shredded

couple handfuls of greens for the base (optional)

lots of hummus

sliced avocado

hulled hemp seeds.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread out the chopped sweet potato on one sheet. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of oil or so and toss the potatoes until coated. Sprinkle with fine grain sea salt.

For the roasted chickpeas: Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then place on a large tea towel and pat until completely dry. Discard any skins that fall off. Transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Rub them around with your hands until lightly coated. Generously sprinkle with fine grain sea salt and your favourite spices. I like to use garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Toss gently to combine.

Place both the sweet potato and chickpeas into the preheated oven. Roast for 15 minutes at 400F and then remove both. Flip the sweet potatoes and gently roll around the chickpeas. Place back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so, watching closely during the last 5 minutes. When the chickpeas are golden and the sweet potatoes are lightly browned on the bottom and fork tender, they are ready to come out.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa while the roasting is going on. In a fine mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa and then place in a medium pot. Add in 1.5 cups of water and stir. Bring the mixture to a low boil and then reduce the heat to low/medium and cover with lid. Simmer, covered, for about 14-17 minutes (you can check after 13 minutes), until all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and leave the lid on to steam for another 5-10 minutes or longer if needed. Fluff with fork.

Assemble the bowl: Add a couple handfuls of greens into a large shallow bowl. I had some leftover Best Kale Salad so I used that for my base. When the roasted veggies and chickpeas are done, allow the chickpeas to cool for 5 minutes and then add them on the salad followed by the sliced avocado, hummus, shredded veggies, and hemp seeds. See picture for how I plated it.

Serve immediately and enjoy! You can use dressing if you'd like, but I don't usually bother. If you have leftover sweet potato and roasted chickpeas, you can place them in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 400F for about 5-10 minutes.

Hi Angela, a quick question about the hemp seeds: I bought some a while ago, and they are in their “shells”, and I can’t find any information on how to use them, i.e., do I need to take them out of the shells ( I read somewhere that the shell is rich in minerals) or do I use them as they are? Thanks for helping:-)
btw, this looks like a really nice recipe, it’s been added to my list! thanks again.

Hi Kiara, Oh I should have mentioned shelled or hulled hemp seeds in my directions – I will add that in. To be honest, I’ve never bought hemp with their shells on. I just did a quick Google and it looks like some people eat them with the shells on and some shell them first. Here is how you can shell them: http://www.ehow.com/how_5942255_shell-hemp-seeds.html

If you want to eat them whole, I would probably soak them in water for a few hours first.

This bowl looks so nourishing and satisfying! I lovvee big bowls of STUFF :) Instagram is most definitely my favorite form of social media for the same reasons. I am browsing my feed constantly and it’s always making me hungry hehe

This looks delicious! We are snowed in right now, but luckily we have all of the ingredients to make that salad (except for the cabbage). I’m going to soak my dried chickpeas now so I can make this for dinner!

Oh this is so BEAUTIFUL! My husband requested we eat less meat and more veggies in the new year (surprising since the only veg he ate was broccoli when we met!) so I guarantee this will be on our plates this week. Love the colors!

I’ve been a vegetarian for about nine years, but I’m going weekday-vegan this year and I am definitely going to try this asap! I’ve never roasted chickpeas before but they look SO GOOD. Thanks for the inspiration!

All of my favorites in one convenient bowl! I love mixing everything in and getting a little bite of everything. I have to admit, my husband always teases me because when I serve myself, I can’t help but pretty everything up, whether I’m photographing it or not. I think it must be some sort of food perfectionist disorder LOL and I’ve had it since way before I started the vegan food blog. I’ll have to work on loosening up in 2014 ;)

Hi Angela,
This is the first time I have commented on your blog! I wanted to thank you for all the wonderful recipes. I have made the homemade twix bars and also the lentil loaf! Both a hit! :) My boyfriend is a hunter (meat and potato eater) & myself (a vegetarian) and I can barely get him to try any veggie type dishes I make. He has liked both recipes and even helped me make them!
Thank you again!

Big bowls of veggies and lots of colorful plants are the way to go! I love adding roasted sweet potatoes or squash to my salads too. The color, the texture, the pop it gives – mmm, yours look so good! pinned

Mmm this looks beautiful Ange. You know I’m a huge fan of big bowls of veggies! And thank you for giving me yet another inspirational Instagrammer to follow. I don’t know if it’s just me, but Instagram photos seem to be loading really slowly for me lately. Then I get all stressed out about it.. it’s like Instagram anxiety – a new disorder perhaps? ;) Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!

Hi Angela! I’ve been reading Oh She Glows for a few years now, and I wanted to stop by and let you know how much I appreciate you and your writing. Today, I happened to get some crappy news and wasn’t feeling so hot about it, but your positivity really helped to cheer me up. So thank you! That is a wicked fork, by the way. :)

I am trying a no oil vegan diet and because this looks so good, I wonder if I could roast the chickpeas and sweet potato w/o oil, instead brushing them now and then with a little veg broth? Lovely healthy combination of vegetables. Thanks for the inspiration.

I’m a big fan of instagram because I get to see what my blogger buddies are doing outside of food. It’s nice to get a fuller perspective on their lives :) This vegan bowl is amazing! Love that it was inspired by instagram, and love all of the delicious healthful ingredients!

Funny you should write about this as I have been a long time follower of Deliciously Ella’s blog and I had this for lunch today. Delicious, really easy idea and can be adapted to personal tastes but still have the same overall effect :-)

WOW, this looks SUPERB! I can’t wait to try this! I used to be the biggest salad hater and now I’ve tried a few good recipes I love them! I’m making your Best Shredded Kale Salad for a dinner party tonight, I can’t wait for my friends to try it.

I wish I had Instagram but I’m still dragging around a silly old Blackberry and my contract doesn’t end till May… but when it does, I’m getting a phone with Instagram. It looks like such a fun way to share photos.

I just found your blog!!! It’ s very interesting!!! Cool photos:) Today on my blog pineapple: ) My parents always told me not to play with food, but by looking on food photography, I think they might be wrong. For me food, is always one of the greatest inspirations, very tasty inspiration: )!!! Do you also think so?

If you ever come to Portland, it is a MUST to visit Blossoming Lotus’s restaurant – vegan/vegetarian, raw, organic everything that is delicious! They make stuff similar to this but I have to say – yours is even better than that restaurant!

I made this tonight for me and my husband and it was scrumptious. I didn’t have any sweet potatoes on hand so I subbed roasted delicata squash. I used a spicy roasted jalapeño hummus and it have everything a nice kick and made a great alternative for dressing. It was almost as beautiful as yours, and so much fun to put together. Thank you, Angela. Again.

This looks absolutely delicious! It’s so inspirational because you could technically fill the bowl with anything you have a taste for…but it’s a lunch idea that never really get’s registered! You make it look so appetizing too. I’m not actually a veggie but I pretty much only ever eat vegetarian food! This looks like a freshly harvested buddha bowl with a twist. Cannot wait to try it!

Made this for lunch today. My husband and I both devoured it. And did I mention how beautiful it looks? Just gorgeous! This is yet another of your recipes that will be making more appearances on our dining table. Thank you!

One of my favorite things about being a vegan is how completely gorgeous food can be! I feel like I could just hang this bowl up on my wall as art. It looks awesome and I can imagine that it is so healthy. Looking forward to trying it!

I love this recipe! I have made it twice for dinner already and my husband loves it as well. Delicious & satisfying. Quick question though: for the chick peas, is it 1/2 teaspoon or 1/2 tablespoon of oil for?

I had this for dinner today and it was amazing! My four-year old son was watching me make it and was sneaking bites of the roasted sweet potato and chickpeas. Then he made his way to the hummus and lettuce. I made his favourite pasta for dinner, but he wanted the vegan bowl! When I told him that I’d give him a small plate of the veggies on the side, he started crying! He wanted a BIG plate, lol! Thanks SO MUCH for this.

This pretty bowl inspired me to be more proactive in creating colorful, good-for-you foods. I roasted sweet potatoes and paired it with some avocado and a salad after my run and it was the most amazing complimentary dish post-workout, encouraging the feel-goods. Please keep up with ideas/recipes such as these for us follow diet-revampers!

I made this recipe thinking it would be a perfect detox recipe. Oh my god. It was the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever eaten. All the veggies blend perfectly. No dressing needed with the hummus and avocado. I’m not vegan (yet!) and I absolutely, one hundred percent loved this meal. It is so filling, I could barely eat a quarter of it. Amazing recipe. Amazing website. Just amazing.

I LOVE bowls…especially when you can prep everything ahead and through it all together in a pinch…which is usually how I roll. Can’t wait to try this combo- I’ve got some lemon kale hummus from the farmers market that will be perfect!

Okay. This is amazing. A few days (weeks) ago I bought your book and decided to check out your blog. This was the first recipe I made (from either) and it was AMAZING! Even my husband, who thinks he can’t survive without meat, absolutely loved it. Thanks so much!

Mmm, the big vegan bowl looks delicious! Wonder if you’d be interested in posting it on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #SaladWars. Florette are giving away some fab foodie prizes at the moment and I’m pretty sure your salad is worth a prize! More details on florettesalad.co.uk/salad-wars

I have been staring at this recipe since I first saw it. I am currently enjoying it as I finally made it. It is so wonderful. Instead of cabbage I put in capsicum and for the greens I put spinach. I love this site but this is the first recipe Ive tried. Thanks so much.

I make variations of this bowl all of the time and it’s the perfect lunch. Its packed with veggies and protein and the addition of the hummus adds a great texture so you don’t feel like you’re missing a dressing. Thanks for the great recipe!

Totally worth it! Loved this recipe, loved the presentation of the bowl – just looking at it was making me drool. Perfect combination of everything. I just didn’t add hummus because I didn’t have any on hand. Roasted chickpeas were perfect, and you totally reconciled me with sweet potatoes. Thanks!

This might be the most genius big bowl of vegan ingredients I could ever think of, and it motivated me to make my own hummus. I know it’s crazy, but, this bowl may have changed my life. It’s definitely one of my favorite things I’ve ever made. Thank you so much!

I’ve been slowly making more and more of your recipes and trying them out with my girls too. One thing I wanted to ask is where you get your bowls from? I’ve been looking for something similar everywhere I can think of so that I can plate everything and yet still keep things separate. Sometimes my picky eaters get bent out of shape if too many things are mixed up.

This is SOOO delicious!! I could eat this every day!! I’ve made this a couple of times now and I find this so hearty and appealing. I haven’t tried the lemon tahini dressing but the hummus and avocado give it enough moisture for me. I’m sure the dressing is delicious but I’m too lazy to make it! I just roasted chick peas with cauliflower earlier this week and it was also amazing! You could easily sub cauliflower for the sweet potato in this recipe if you wanted something a bit different. Thanks for all your great recipes! I just put the 5-minute oatmeal power bowl together while the quinoa was cooking so I’ll be trying that in the morning!

Hi! I love your website, I’ve been making a lot of vegan dishes and using them as inspiration for other dishes. One of my proudest moments was creating a vegan bowl based after yours for my friends birthday! Thank you for making so many available for free on your site!

Two months ago my neighbor gave me some of this delicious recipe. I made it again last night for supper! My 18 month old devoured it and I, who loves food, have rarely ate a flavour combination soooo perfect. Thanks a bunch…You are now our household go to person for simple, tasteful food! Who knew purple cabbage was soooo delicious? We usually have it cooked or in salads that are covered with vinaigrette! Thanks again!

I love eating this way, but I’m never creative enough to come up with combos myself. I had a bag of frozen root vegetables in the freezer that I’m using in place of the sweet potatoes. And I dressed the cabbage with a little ACV and sesame seeds. I love the combination of textures and flavors.

This has been a staple in our house for a while now! Delicious…i have prepared it for some friends as well as a surprise lunch…the skepticals were shocked at how full they felt hours afer! Thank you for this bowl of happiness!

Hi Karen, Unfortunately, I don’t have the calorie calculation on hand, but if you plug the ingredients you use into an online nutrition calculator like nutritiondata.com or caloriecount.com (or even a free app!), you’ll be able to find out what you’d like to know fairly quickly. Hope this helps!

I just did the calculation, it’s actually surprisingly many, if you count this dish for two portions, then its around 700 kcal per portion, that’s a lot for just one meal. Think I will cut this in four.

I just went to a vegan restaurant and paid $18 for a grain bowl! If you use the lemon tahini dressing you can just have endless options for what goes in the bowl. Rice or whatever grain on the bottom, lettuce/kale/spinach then whatever veggies or sweet potatoes roasted are lovely. This lemon tahini dressing is great and better than the one on my $18 bowl! The hummus is great too but this is so versatile and it can be anything you want.